Tag: Filmmaker

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We live in very troubled times. But is not the world’s hatred caused by basic misunderstanding? What better way to break down the barriers of hatred than through the power of film?

The films you make, the stories you write, and the pictures you paint matter more than ever before. Creativity matters more than ever. Culture matters more than ever. And that’s why Raindance matters: today, and for our future.

Make no mistake about it: Raindance is in fighting mode. Raindance films are the dances of protest; our poems are the poems of insurrection; our buildings edify dissent. Raindance celebrates filmmakers who challenge society, musicians who sing for freedom, artists who revolt against the forces that validate oppression.

With the Netflix’s, and Amazon’s, and Sky’s of this world-dominating media channels filmmakers need more avenues in which to express themselves.

Raindance is such an avenue. Raindance is an open, handcrafted forum. Our festival won’t show just any film. We don’t let anybody use our amazing festival platform. We don’t. We won’t. We never will. We curate and select. We select based on the filmmaker’s capacity to express ideas and to have an aesthetic. Films that push, bend, impel our future toward the world we want to live in. We believe in the power of film.

Films at Raindance stand up for the vulnerable, the marginalised, the outsiders, the rebels, the dreamers, the poets, the imaginative. We celebrate the filmmakers. Raindance is a platform for those who love and question and include. We are used to being called maverick and outsider. We’ve been truly independent for a quarter century.

If you feel the same way, you can’t be passive or silent, and neither can we. Raindance needs to step it up in 2018, and so do you. Be bigger, bolder, louder, stronger, more open, more productive, more engaged, more organised, more public, more creative.

Raindance is non-profit. We need your support to make 2018 bigger, bolder and fresher than ever before.

Your donations are tax deductible. We receive 25% Gift Aid at no extra cost to you.

With your support, we step it up together. We go on together. We get stronger. There are many ways you can support our work at Raindance. Call me on 0207 930 3412 to discuss your options further.

Dan Speerin was one of the first YouTube Partners in Canada, and the first Canadian host on The Young Turks Network. He’s the co-creator and producer of several successful multiplatform series, from the narrative series Twixters, which aired on television in over 60 countries, to the award-winning digital series Truth Mashup, to the panel discussion-based series on Millennial issues called The What Is.

A sought-after pundit on Millennial and digital culture, and a seasoned specialist in digital strategy and communication, Dan has created digital content for Rogers, Bell, CBC and VH1 among others. With experience in the development, production, distribution and promotion of content that transcends platforms, Dan Speerin is also the Chair of the Independent Web Creators of Canada — IWCC-CIWC.

Liza Vespi, Executive Director at Raindance Canada, sat down with Dan to chat about his work, the state of web creation today, where it’s going and why you need to jump in with both feet.

Liza: How did you get into being a YouTuber?

Dan: Timing. I moved to Toronto right out of high school to get into comedy, I was doing stand up and sketch comedy in the clubs. But I found out I was more into filmmaking and storytelling. In 2005, I had made a few short films that were making the festival rounds and we began uploading our comedy shorts to this website CBC made for their TV series ZeD – but sadly they cancelled it. Luckily for us – we had all these shorts so when YouTube came out of nowhere, we had this amazing head start. Soon enough, I was doing TV spots explaining what this “YouTube thing” was and then fell into an odd life of being the token “Millennial” spokesperson.

What have been some of your biggest challenges as a filmmaker and web creator?

The challenging thing for me was coming up in an era where nobody knew where things were going. YouTube life was always volatile because digital life is always evolving and you have to try and predict where things are going, to really succeed. But opportunities were also hard to come by in traditional, because they felt threatened by digital. More often than not, they saw you as a “digital influencer” as opposed to a filmmaker, showrunner/director/writer, etc. So the challenge is always to avoid being pigeonholed. That’s why I’ve always chosen to do a bit of everything from art films to television series to CBC radio specials. I’ve even run social media campaigns for TV and web projects I really believed in.

You had great success with Twixters, The What Is and Truth Mashup going multiplatform. What’s the key to bridging the media gap?

A lot of hard work. In some ways it’s easier now, because my peer group had to blindly wander into the woods, but we’ve done our best to leave breadcrumbs. Whether it was the TV projects you spoke of or digital projects for the CBC or The Young Turks branching out to Canada, etc., my co-writer and production partner Vince Kesavamoorthy and I were the guinea pigs for a lot of things. We spent a good 10 years of our creative lives explaining the Internet to traditional media behind the scenes. That could be tough, because you weren’t just a creator – you were basically a content marketer and executive mind for half your day. Ironically, we ended up writing the rules for this new era and now there are much more cut-and-dry expectations of what companies expect from creators and digital projects. The audience is so fractured now, you have to be a lot more disciplined and have a very specific audience focus. Every platform needs its own strategy and its own content suited to that audience. But because so many of us have been doing this for a decade now, we know what works – or at least what doesn’t. So there’s an upside to starting now, because you benefit from all of us who fell on our faces before you. So please, let it be good for something.

Tell us a bit about the IWCC-CWIC and what’s on the org’s radar these days.

I think the Logan Paul scandal shows us that we have a long way to go on informing media about the problems of platform labour — the coverage was just embarrassing. What I’m looking forward to is our annual Connect event in January — where 14 web series creators get to pitch industry professionals from Crave, CBC, Studio71 and more — for a chance to take their idea to the next level. We’re always on the look out for ways to help new voices find a spotlight — whether that’s with salon chats, podcast or our annual creator celebration T.O. WebFest.

The loss of net neutrality may be the biggest web story of 2017. What’s a creator to do?

Well, if you’re Canadian, you can feel a bit better that our laws protect net neutrality. But considering when we talk “the Internet” we’re usually speaking about many companies based in America, we need to be more aware of the climate we live in. We’ve spent the last 50 years trying hard to protect our culture because we live next door to an entertainment giant — but in the digital age, we seem to be giving into the States and hoping it all works out. The government has decided this generation of creators can go it alone, so creators need to get together and get louder. There’s a sea of content and if there isn’t more of a collective effort to collaborate in all aspects of creation — including marketing — it will be hard to be seen against the flood of content from Silicon Valley behemoths. We really need to strengthen the bond between YouTubers, podcasters and digital series creators — and when that happens, we can have an ecosystem that can be more self-sustaining and hopefully thrive.

Parting words for someone starting out as a web creator?

Fail out loud. Don’t be afraid to jump in and just create — it’s the only way you learn. And learn — always be learning. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. You need so many tools in the Swiss army knife now — not just the traditional filmmaking skills. How will people find your project? Understanding social media, marketing, PR and tech trends is key to breaking through. I host a podcast called Creatortown, where top creators explain their process as well as their failures and successes in digital, because if we can help one creator not fall into the same mistake as someone before them — that’s huge. There’s so much information out there at your disposal — but it’s up to you to use it to your advantage.

Happy 2018! It’s time to go from film fan to filmmaker

Here at Raindance we’ve decided that January is going to be a special month. What better month to re-invigorate your dreams than January? Of course, everyone repeats that every day, but we really mean it. Why? Assert yourself: let’s go from film fan to filmmaker.

Well, look at 2017 just gone. A glorious year full of embodied national and international pride and excitement in the forms of Brexit, the U.S. election and humanity’s survival of yet another bullshit Apocalypse, to name a few.

That’s why we’ve decided that to follow this collectivist example January will be the month of the individual. So far this year, arguably for the first time in history, we’ve become good at social activism. This month, it’s your turn to become good at something you’ve always wanted to try.

Go from film fan to filmmaker.

Raindance is here to provide some of the best practical and theoretical film courses, tutors and events around. Kick your cinephilia out of the realm of ‘fan’ and into the world of ‘filmmaker’. We’ve got all the old favourite courses and events, along with some brand spanking new ones to keep our students the best-informed and most adaptable on the scene. Take a look below for an overview of how we’re kicking off the month.

And remember – your January can only be defined by you. Take the leap and make it a success story.

Excited? So are we. Let’s get cooking.

MA Info Session 10 January 6pm-7pm

You’ve heard about our revolutionary Postgraduate Film Degree? Drop in for an evening chat on how this revolutionary programme could enhance your filmmaking career. Register for a free place here

OK, so you’ve heard that Raindance doesn’t teach filmmakers, we make filmmaking. This is your chance to meet the filmmakers who will teach you how to become a filmmaker. Eight taster tutorials PLUS a drink on us. All for a fiver (Or free for Raindance Members) Bag a ticket here

This is the one-day introductory film class everyone is talking about. Taken by over 15,000 wannabee’s since it’s launch a few years ago. If you’ve wanted to write, produce or direct a film, this is a must. With Elliot Grove and Patrick Tucker Just £150 or £59 for Raindance members.Register online here

Brand new and hot off the press, featuring one of the most successful graphic novelists around. It’s #1 New York Times Best Selling Author Tony Lee. Find out if your idea has legs as a comic book. Then learn how to adapt your writing to the strictures of the graphic novel script format. Finally discover what do to with your work once you’ve finished it. Exciting. ***Save 33% Until January 2nd!

This weekend film directing masterclass is presented with one of Europe’s most respected and seasoned film directors: Ate de Jong. He will be illustrating his masterclass with clips from his films such as DROP DEAD FRED, ENIGMA, DISCOVERY OF HEAVEN, HIGHWAY TO HELL, MIAMI VICE, DEADLY VIRTUES, LOVE IS THICKER THAN WATER and many more.Don’t miss this chance to study with a master***Save 33% Until January 2nd!

Raindance Foundation Certificates – London

Six different evening classes – five nights each. Pick your poison and specialise!

In filmmaking it’s about getting the script, then getting the money. Getting the money means getting the paperwork together. Learn how to create the business plan, plan the legal contracts, prepare the budget and schedule and finally how to get the money. Find out how.

If you’re interested in causes or issues of social justice then learning how to create and monentise a documentary might be the route for you. Documentary filmmaking is hotter than hot right now. Don’t be left sitting on the sidelines. Get some.

Learn the basics of editing, sound, lighting, shooting with DSLR, and low budget special effects in five single evening classes. Take them all, or take the one(s) that interest you. Let Raindance’s professional tutors help you demystify the technical side of filmmaking. Get some.

Raindance Special Events

This is our monthly networking event, free to members. It’s a chance to pick up cast and crew, or commit yourself to someone else’s project. Or just get drunk and exchange business cards. Suit yourself.

Of course, this is not all that’s going on between now and the end of March. We’ve got countless more courses, events, talks, workshops and networking parties to get through. To see them all, check out the tab on the right hand side of the page here or take a look at our super-packedLondon Calendar.

We hope to see you at a Raindance event soon! And remember: make 2018 yours. Kick yourself from film fan to filmmaker.

On the November 15, 2017 episode of /Film Daily, Peter Sciretta is joined by /Film senior writer Ben Pearson and writer Hoai-Tran Bui to discuss the latest news, including the Rotten Tomatoes score and box office tracking for Justice League, Quentin Tarantino wants to cast Tom Cruise in his next film, what Christopher Tolkien resigning from the Tolkien Estate means for the future of Lord of the Rings, and Mel Gibson is up for the Joe Carnahan time-loop film Boss Level. In The Mailbag, we’ll be questioning our abilities to separate the art from the artist.

‘Boss Level’ Will Be Joe Carnahan’s Spin on the ‘Groundhog Day’ Movie Formula

In The Mailbag: Mark S from Phoenix writes in “after all the allegations against many heavyweights in Hollywood, is it acceptable to separate a person from their art. Can I still laugh at Woody Allen’s “Midnight in Paris”, can I still be in awe at Roman Polanski’s “The Pianist”, can I still be mesmerized by Brett Ratner’s “Red Dragon”? And not solely the filmmakers; “Manchester by the Sea” was one of my favorite films last year, but the more I heard about Casey Affleck and his allegations, the more I felt guilty for praising a man who has committed such atrocities. We all make mistakes, but for those whose actions are unforgivable, do you think we should still celebrate their cinematic achievements? Love the podcast, keep it up guys!”

To submit questions to the mailbag, send them to peter@slashfilm.com. Please mention your name and general geographical location in case we mention the question on the air.You can find more about all the stories we mentioned on today’s show at slashfilm.com. /Film Daily is published every weekday, bringing you the most exciting news from the world of movies and television as well as deeper dives into the great features from slashfilm.com. You can subscribe to /Film Daily on iTunes, Google Play, Overcast and all the popular podcast apps (RSS). We’re still very much experimenting with this podcast, please feel free to send your feedback to us at peter@slashfilm.com. Please rate and review the podcast on iTunes and spread the word! Thanks to Sam Hume for our logo.

“Sometimes you need luck as a director. We always think it’s all about control and it is a lot about control when you direct a movie, but it’s also about things that you can’t foresee.” There’s a film now playing in theaters titled The Divine Order, from Swiss writer/director Petra Volpe. The film is Switzerland’s entry in the Oscars this year and it’s obvious why when you see it. This very entertaining, exciting, engaging film tells the story of a woman in a mountain town in Switzerland who rallies other women to join in the fight for the right to vote. Swiss women only passed a law in 1971. I had a chance to talk with writer & director Petra Volpe and I’m so happy I did – she’s a joy to talk with and had much to say about making empowering films. ›››

A generation ago, being ‘disruptive’ was interpreted as being either a miscreant criminal, or the lazy dude sitting in the back row of class making fun of the teacher.

Today, disrupters run companies or become taste makers in their field. Disrupters are especially important in the creative industry. Art by definition is disruptive as its function is to provide us with a new way to view the world; but the new technological means of making media content today (digital, cost-efficient, distributive) also offers disruption to the traditional processes of making movies.

The assumption is that disruption is a monumental change, resulting in a paradigm shift. But for every ‘tipping point’ of innovation, there are dozens of subtler disruptions occurring, thought-by-thought, decision-by-decision, while developing film and media projects. Disruption today is really just a way of thinking. That means you can be disruptive in almost any thought or choice you make in the filmmaking process, in less obvious ways, but these thoughts and decisions can culminate in a fresh, innovative approach.

Speak to any filmmaker today who is attempting to make films independently in an environment of constraint and you are likely to find a reluctant or unwitting disrupter in the making. When producer/co-director of When They Awake, P.J. Marcellino, set out to make his award-winning first feature documentary, it was the challenges in his path that both inspired and necessitated a subtler, disruptive set of decisions.

On his way to the Calgary International Film Festival where his first feature documentary was selected for the opening night gala, Marcellino offers these 4 disruptive strategies driving their decision-making and filmmaking process.

1) Find partners early on who believe in you.

Don’t work in a vacuum unless you want less than 50 people to ever see your film. Being a disrupter or a maverick definitely does not mean working alone. Find an industry mentor, a champion for your idea or like-minded organization to put wind in your sail, gain early momentum and build a network of advice, credibility or resources. These are people who don’t stare at you, stunned or disapproving, when you pitch them new ideas or ask for help with not-yet-tested approaches. They help you figure out how to do it.

When Marcellino pitched his project to travel to the Northwest Territories (NWT) to explore music, culture, and a new generation of indigenous creators, he found some early supporters:

Raindance Toronto immediately saw potential and offered brand support and a creative approach to developing a sponsored pathway, side-stepping traditional Canadian funders which could have slowed down early momentum. The Raindance connection also helped solidify the director’s relationship once he arrived in NWT with WAMP (Western Arctic Moving Pictures) a local NWT filmmaker group, and the NWT Film Commission, which became instrumental in helping this documentary project along. The director also found a mentor, a creative executive at 90th Parallel Productions with an industry track record. All together this early gathering of steam helped fuel the documentary project and added credibility from the beginning.

2) Become a creative problem-solver in real time, every single day.

This may be the very definition of independent filmmaking. In the present moment and decision-by-decision of making a film, it may be less about executing artistic choices and genius talent than it is about problem solving, wondering, questioning, reflecting, pitching, adapting, pivoting, testing, trying and blue-skying your way through the myriad challenges, problems, obstacles and constraints in development and production. In fact, the ‘creative genius’ in making independent films today lies in ‘creative problem-solving’ and ‘creative producing.’ For example:

You’ll never have enough money. Get over it, and get creative about it. Lack of money is not a reason to not make a film. For the filmmakers of When They Awake, they creatively worked around it by getting a sponsor. Northern travel became the most insurmountable challenge and travelling across the north became an immense financial roadblock to getting their film made. So with nothing to lose they reached out to all the northern airlines and said, “hey, let’s be friends.” They got various responses but in the end creatively found their solution: “Our pitch to Canadian North was simple: this documentary is a travel narrative; there will be airplanes on screen; your airplanes are so beautiful, it’ll be easy to show them – easier than showing your competitors’ airplanes. Let’s talk.” And an airline responded.

Marcellino says “to their credit, the airline believed in us when we were a tiny project, and grew with us as we became a 4-year production in the range of half a million dollars and numerous flights. Suddenly, we’re showing the film at the Opening Gala of the Calgary Film Festival – their corporate headquarters – and they are over the moon. So, get a sponsor, and treat them well. Make them feel like you’re worth investing in.”

3) Know when to go with the flow.

This doesn’t sound so disruptive, but it is. It’s important to occasionally take your oars out of the water and let it carry you downstream. Constant efforting and pushing can lock you into a rigid mindset and choke off the energy of a film project. Constant efforting directs all your blood into fight or flight mode, into your hands and feet as it were, and leaves nothing in the heart or the belly where creative energy lives. You can miss the muse or the solution standing right in front of you unless you relax your gaze, reduce effort and know when to let go now and then. It might feel like slowing down your process, but it’s really about disrupting it.

Marcellino suggests: “Don’t think you have to have your story all figured out. Let it reveal itself to you, and know that this takes time. It can be unsettling to wait. But if you do, the reward will come eventually. Rushing a story doesn’t help anyone…”

“But if you feel like you’re being pulled in a direction you dislike, get your muscle behind those oars and row like your life depends on it.“

4) Have old and new disruptive role models to inspire you along the way.

How about Shane Caruth (Upstream Colour) for busting up traditional indie distribution? Sean Baker (Tangerine) for digital iPhone innovation? Or Yorgos Lanthimos (The Lobster) for pushing the story world envelop over a cliff? Or Jill Soloway (Transparent; I Love Dick) for seismic shifts in character, identity and sexual politics?

We think we’re the first one with an original approach, but filmmakers stand on the shoulders of giants, and though counter intuitive, look to great practitioners of the past to inspire your own disruptive future.

Marcellino says he and his Co-Director like Werner Herzog and what they call his “Herzogisms”, like this one: “Making a film is like going to the depth of Hell every day. And every day you need to be willing to wrestle your film from the claws of the Devil himself, and then start all over in the morning… if you are not ready for that, then you have no business being a filmmaker.“

The film and TV industry is changing as we speak. Traditional institutions, financiers, broadcasters, sales agents and distributors are rethinking their models of developing, resourcing, buying and screening films, but changes can be slower than some creative innovators can tolerate.

In this Disruptive Filmmaking article series, we look at new ways independent filmmakers and creative entrepreneurs are simply doing things differently, bucking the system, blazing a maverick trail or creating their own self-directed masterclass to get their media and film projects made and noticed. This isn’t film school. It’s film bootcamp.

We’ll break open recent projects by Raindance members and our postgraduate students, and ask disruptors who’ve made When They Awake produced in association with Raindance Toronto and Western Arctic Movie Pictures, and We Still Rise, a film documenting the Womens’ March in London, why and how they did it differently. We want to inspire and provoke your complacency about why you make film and media content, how you make it, and who you make it for.

CAVEAT: Not for the feint of heart, those with weak convictions or poor stamina, disruptive filmmaking occasionally involves blood. But speak to any independent film and media creator out there making consistent content year over year on their own terms, and you will meet reflective, confident, energized, creative problem-solvers with a style, purpose and urgency, willing to work within constraints but not willing to compromise on why or how they get there.

No surprise these outliers find Raindance, which has been screening and promoting unique stories through its annual Raindance Film Festival; or they find the Raindance Online Postgraduate Film Degree, where they design their own accredited MA around media projects, build international connections and carve a 21st century career path; or they stumble upon Raindance Hubs in cities around the world like Toronto, Vancouver, Los Angeles or Berlin. At these training and networking centres filmmakers new and used find their souls, their genre and a fresh local network of support.

If you are an outlier, square peg, disruptor, iconoclast, non-traditionalist or non-represented, no need to explain yourself. Raindance probably has you covered, because you had us at hello.

Making a film within the system is perfectly legitimate, but not immediately accessible to everyone. It’s particularly a tricky first step for those emerging creators just trying to ‘break into the system.’ (How many people did you bump into at TIFF or Cannes this year still applying and waiting and pitching and waiting and trying and waiting…to get their project into production after several years of…well, trying and waiting?)

What are you waiting for?

Traditional systems and funders are by definition, not risk-takers. It’s not their job to take risks. So you or someone else needs to take the first risk on yourself and on your project. If you execute it and it works, no matter how you go about it, guaranteed those funders will be all over you. So think of risk-taking as your own responsibility as a filmmaker, and your risk-strategy, whether it’s how you approach your genre, how you raise finance or build an audience for it, becomes your own industry audition, de-risking you for future investment by funders.

Access to public funding entails compromises that may or may not be acceptable or synergistic to what you plan to do or how you plan to do it in your maverick film project. So you might want to take a risk and do things in a less structured way.

Stubbornness and a person’s innate desire to do things on one’s own terms is what characterizes innovators. Most of us want it our own way but few of us choose an outlier path.

*WARNING – The announcement below is unnecessarily long, overdramatic, mis-speled and the critical information, regarding your account, is way down towards the bottom. Greetings People of Earth (and The Kardashians). Those of you who have stalked Filmmaker IQ may have thought we had died (and not just because of the smell). I certainly don’t blame […]

Hi, John Hess from Filmmaker IQ.com Late last week I received some devastating news – the co-founder of Filmmaker IQ and my friend Dennis Hartwig had passed away suddenly and unexpectedly. Whenever I’m asked to give advice to an up and coming filmmaker – it usually comes out as this: Get yourself a Dennis – […]

And so now we come nine complete years with Filmmaker IQ. It is hard to wrap my mind about that figure “9 years” but what might be more frightening is realizing that soon it will be 10 and then 11 and so on. The future looks so slow to get here but the past can’t […]